Contrast Between the “Hired Girls” and the Black Hawk Women in My AntoniaWilla Cather draws a stark contrast between the respectable Black Hawk women and the “girls hired” in books II and III of My Antonia through Jim’s inevitable attachment to them. The “hired girls” are all immigrants who work in Black Hawk as domestic servants to help support their families back home. They are hardworking and charming. They are simple and complicated. They are sad and happy. They work all day and dance all night. To Jim, these are the most interesting people who reside in Black Hawk. Respectable women are boring and predictable. They all go to bed at the same time every night and all get up at the same time every morning. Their entire life consists of a series of daily routines. Most Black Hawk men find "committed girls" irresistible. They may even flirt with all or any of them for a while, but inevitably, when they are ready to settle down, they choose a respectable woman to marry. After experiencing an intellectual awakening at university and meeting Lena Lingard, one of the "committed girls", Jim discovers that "if there were no girls like them in the world, there would be no of poetry” (Cather 173). At this point, he understands why he preferred the company of Tiny, Lena, and Antonia to that of Black Hawk's more refined daughter. These girls embodied life, wilderness, adventure and kindness. To Jim, they represent all that is beautiful and romantic about life on the prairie in a way that no highly respected female Black Hawk could possibly represent. The “engaged girls” had lived difficult lives. They had grown up during the toughest times in their family. Because they worked to support the family, most had not received any rewards... middle of paper ... they talk about Jim so much that she won't allow him to be held by her- yourself or by someone else, even a dear friend like Lena Lingard. The indentured girls are important characters in My Antonia both as a connection to the country and in contrast to the respectable women of Black Hawk; and as comparison figures for the most important employee, Antonia. Their success is ironic because of their humble beginnings and speaks volumes about the value of poverty. Through them, the reader learns the importance of overcoming obstacles through hard work. Their vivid descriptions, as well as Jim's attraction to them, make them truly poetic objects worth reading. Ultimately, they show a lot about Antonia in their similarities and dissimilarities to her. Works Cited Cather, Willa. My Antonia. 1918. Foreword Kathleen Norris. Boston: Houghton, 1995.